A Church at the Corner of Washington and Compton
For more than a century, Washington Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church has stood at the corner of Washington Boulevard and Compton Avenue in midtown St. Louis. On November 6, 1902, the congregation was organized at 2345 Market Street under the name Tabernacle Baptist Church before acquiring property at Washington and Ewing, then occupied by the Pilgrim Unitarian Church. The building that worshipers fill today, with its columns of polished Maine granite at the main entrance on Compton and its heavy Howe truss roof, was a structural showpiece from the start. For decades a large illuminated sign atop the roof read Christ Saves and could be seen for blocks. The church is one of the historic Black congregations of St. Louis, and its members like to describe its mission in three words: Word, Worship, and Witness.
The Friendly Church and Its Place in the Movement
Because of the congregation's work in district, state, and national affairs, Washington Tabernacle became widely known as The Friendly Church. During the Civil Rights Movement, national leaders held strategy sessions and mass meetings inside its walls. A. Philip Randolph organized there, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached to more than 4,000 people on May 28, 1963, and returned on March 25, 1964. A plaque from the Missouri Historical Society, now affixed to the upper vestibule, marks the sanctuary as the site of two 1960s civil rights rallies. Sara Newton Cohran, wife of the church's first pastor, organized the St. Louis Colored Orphan's Home from the building - the institution now known as the Annie Malone Children and Family Service Center. The sanctuary itself was damaged by fire in 1945 and rebuilt, and the same spirit of rebuilding has carried forward to the present day through the Powered Preservation Project, a current campaign to raise $500,000 for a new roof and repairs to the upper sanctuary.
Sunday Mornings on Washington Avenue
The church's Sunday rhythm opens early. An 8:30 a.m. Early Morning Prayer Meeting gathers worshipers before the Sunday school hour, and Joshua Sunday School begins at 9:00 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship follows at 10:00 a.m., with sermons recorded and posted to the church's YouTube channel for those who cannot attend. Greeters meet worshipers at the door with handshakes, hugs, and directions to the sanctuary, elevator, or restrooms. Children's programming is available during the 10:00 a.m. service for newborns through kindergarten, and a separate sign-in registration for children ages ten and under runs from 9:45 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. on the first, second, and fourth Sundays of the month. Parents are asked to keep children with symptoms of illness at home and to note any special medical or dietary needs at check-in.
Dress at Washington Tabernacle is intentionally easygoing. Members arrive in everything from jeans and capris to traditional church attire, with a shared aim of keeping the focus on Christ rather than on outward appearance. First-time visitors often comment on the warmth of the welcome and the willingness of longtime members to answer questions about the building and the church's history.
Midweek Study and Friday Morning Prayer
Midweek formation happens through Word on Wednesday, or W.O.W., a Bible study that meets at 6:30 p.m. by Zoom (Meeting ID 813 5911 4221, passcode RESTORED). On Friday mornings at 6:00 a.m., the Heartfelt Prayer Ministry gathers the congregation by conference call for the Friday Servants Prayer. The free dial-in number is 605-313-5488, with access code 880061. The same ministry also shares prayer requests across other churches and organizations, encouraging members to pray without ceasing for the city and one another.
A Pastoral Voice: Rev. Donnie Robinson, Sr.
On Sunday, October 29, 2023, the congregation voted overwhelmingly to call Rev. Donnie Robinson, Sr. as the tenth pastor of Washington Tabernacle. Pastor Robinson grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois, after his family moved there from Macon, Mississippi, when he was five. He was baptized in 1974 at Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church under Rev. Garfield Hubbard, Sr., and was later licensed and ordained for preaching. He joined Washington Tabernacle in 1984 under Rev. James F. DeClue, served as an Associate Minister from 1985 until his installation as pastor, and on three occasions carried the congregation as Interim Pastor when the pulpit was vacant. He has also served as Assistant Pastor of New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis and as Stand-in Pastor at Transfiguration Lutheran Church. Pastor Robinson is married to Jacqueline R. Jones, and together they have three children and six grandchildren. His stated aspiration, in his own words, is to do and be in the will of God at all times, to seek and save the lost, and to serve God's congregation of Washington Tabernacle - the reason he has been Chosen to Serve.
Joshua Sunday School: A School for Every Age
Joshua Sunday School, the church's lifelong formation program, is now enrolling students from preschool through adult life. Each Sunday at 9:00 a.m., learners gather for classes that range from the foundational to the practical: drama and arts and crafts for the children, Financial Management based on Leviticus 27, Child Development from Proverbs 22:6, Anger Management drawn from Proverbs 14:29, and a Human Resources track rooted in Exodus. Admission is open to anyone who confesses with the mouth that Jesus is Lord and believes in the heart that God raised him from the dead. During August, the Dillie Slaughter / Foster Tripp Institute brings in notable clergy members to teach both teachers and adult students in a concentrated summer term.
A Choir for Every Voice
Music has long been one of the church's defining ministries. The Music Ministry spreads the Word through song and leads the congregation in worship through four divisions: the Sanctuary Choir, the Omega Choir, the Men's Chorus (which is part of the Century Men ministry), and a Children's Choir. The Media Ministry supports all of this by recording, videoing, and editing the Sunday morning service for broadcast and for members who request copies.
Heartfelt Prayer and the Work of the House
Beyond the choirs, the church's life is shaped by a wide bench of lay ministries. The Deacon Ministry prepares and serves communion, collects and counts the offering, prays with and visits the sick, and pitches in on the practical work of keeping the building running. The Deaconess and Mothers Ministry consecrates women of the church to roles of spiritual support and guidance. Trustees oversee the property, finances, and legal affairs of the congregation. The Usher and Health Unit pair traditional greeting at the door with on-call medical assistance during worship. Greeters specialize in making sure every guest feels remembered, and a Transportation Ministry provides rides to worship services and other church-sponsored events on request.
Women's Work, Men's Witness, and Scholarship
Women's ministry at Washington Tabernacle runs on several tracks. The Women's Ministry centers on the spiritual growth of Christian women and gathers them for Bible studies, retreats, service projects, and fellowship events. The Women's Missionary Union teaches and carries out missions in action and supports world missions through prayer, giving, and education, organized into five circles named for women of the church's history: the Mamie Nance Circle, John E. Nance Circle, Regina Nance Circle, Stella B. Thompson Circle, and Willing Workers. The Century Men ministry unites one hundred men of all ages for fellowship, training young men in the work of the church, and singing praises to the Lord as the Men's Chorus.
The scholarship arm of the church's mission is the Frankie Muse Freeman and Rev. John and Regina Nance Memorial Scholarship Fund, established in January 1974 in honor of the late pastor Rev. Dr. John E. Nance and renamed after the death of his widow, Regina Steele Nance, in 1982. The fund provides financial assistance and books to high school graduates pursuing college or post-secondary technical training. To date, more than 1,200 scholarships have been awarded to students from sixty public and private high schools attending institutions across the country. The late Frankie Muse Freeman, a pioneering civil rights attorney, is honored alongside the Nance family in the fund's name.
Outreach, Education, and the Powered Preservation Project
Throughout its history, Washington Tabernacle has served as a community anchor well beyond the sanctuary. The church has hosted Boy Scout troops, Health Fairs, Gang Summits, rides to the polls, Black History Programs, plays, concerts, and music school programs. Members have run food drives and food pantries and have served hot meals to neighbors on many Saturdays. Academic workshops and the Nance Scholarship Fund have helped students across the metropolitan area continue their education. The current Powered Preservation Project invites the wider St. Louis community to support the roof replacement and interior restoration with a suggested gift of $122 - one dollar for each year of the church's life - through the Givelify link, by mail, or by adding the church as a payee at their bank.
Office hours at 3200 Washington Avenue are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and visitors can always find a Sunday morning welcome waiting at the door.